Who Is Kehlani? The Oakland Singer Talks “America’s Got Talent” & How Nick Cannon Saved Her Life

One of the biggest winners coming out of this years SXSW was definitely Kehlani. The 19-year-old Oakland singer caught our attention last year when she released the acclaimed mixtape Cloud 19, which featured spunky, joyous songs like “FWU.” At SXSW, she won over even more fans after performing at a ton of shows and impressing audiences with her poise and stage presence. Her live show is no fluke, it comes from her years spent performing as part of the band Poplyfe? and her stint on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. So despite still being a teenager, Kehlani has actually been working in music for years now.

But that’s only half the story. Kehlani has been many trials and tribulations. Her father died when she was just an infant and her drug addicted mother left her to be raised by her aunt. After discovering a knack for singing she ended up joining Poplyfe and going on America’s Got Talent. But things didn’t go so well from there as she eventually found herself homeless. That is, until she got a helping hand from Nick Cannon and she slowly built her way to where she is now. With a life story that has this many twists and turns, we just had to get to know her better. So find out everything you need to know about her in Who Is Kehlani? as she discusses her musical influences, why she left Poplyfe, and her upcoming mixtape.